Ford Ranger remains monthly 4x4 sales champ

The Blue Oval shifted 2497 Ranger 4x4s in February 2017 to put it on top of the monthly 4x4 sales charts.

The Ranger held a 21.9 per cent share of the overall PU/CC 4x4 market, ahead of the Toyota Hilux (20.0 per cent).

With back-to-back monthly wins, the Ford Ranger has sold 374 more 4x4 vehicles than the second-placed Toyota Hilux so far in 2017.

In the overall market, Light Commercial Vehicles held an 18.5 per cent share of total industry sales in February. When compared to February last year, the sale of LCVs dropped by 5.6 per cent, though this can be attributed to unusually strong February 2016 sales.

“February 2016 included one extra selling day and saw a lot of activity in the market. This resulted in a 6.7 per cent surge over February 2015,” said the chief executive of the FCAI, Mr Tony Weber.

February 2017 was also a milestone month for SUVs, as they (39.9 per cent) overtook passenger cars (39.0 per cent) in total monthly sales.

“The steady, demonstrable shift in consumer preference, which has been occurring in the past few years, has culminated in this February outcome,” Mr Weber said.

“Of course, this one monthly outcome doesn’t signal a landslide but clearly Australian buyers are attracted by the features and capabilities of new generation SUVs, and how these types of vehicles suit their needs and lifestyles.”

The Toyota Corolla was Australia’s best-selling vehicle in February (3392 sales). It was followed by the Toyota Hilux 4x2/4x4 (3386), Mazda3 (3143), Ford Ranger 4x2/4x4 (2931) and Hyundai i30 (2003).